The Sword and Laser discussion

Hello Lady and Gentlemen Astronauts!

We'll be interviewing The Calculating Stars author Mary Robinette Kowal next week, and we want your questions! Leave them in this thread please :)

I was really struck by how much Elma sounds like MRK, especially the 'Oh, right, socially ingrained racism I need to overcome' comments - there has been a lot of discussion around this on Writing Excuses, and Elma's reaction and approach feels like it came straight from MRK's comments and observations. How much of this was a deliberate choice?

Regarding her SFWA run: What would she do as President of SFWA? How does she view SFWA's role within SFF overall?

No question. I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed her Lady Astronaut books!

I'm curious how many female engineers (and astronauts?) she interviewed. She has a lot of passages way too on the nose to be unresearched, down to actual situations I've been in (for example my idea/comment being blown off but applauded when a male colleague says it...).

If she got the chance, would she go to space? Would she do a one-way trip to Mars?

And, based on a comment in the book announcement thread, will we get any stories in the male POV (I haven't read any of the other stories yet except Lady Astronaut of Mars)? Do any of the male characters have anxiety issues/things like we see in the women taking Miltown (spelling? I listened to audiobook).

I had to lookup Miltown when it was first mentioned in the book and found an article (and radio show) titled "Miltown: a game-changing drug you've probably never heard of"

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ondrugs/milt...

Question for MRK: Did your research for TCS include pharmaceutical history and did you learn anything that surprised you?

Question for MRK: Would you be willing to comment on the Blood Heir controversy and the recent NYT article?

I can’t really think of a question right now. But I just wanted to say between the Glamourist Histories books and Ghost Talkers, and now these books, MRK has quickly become one of my favorite authors and an author I readily recommend to anyone who asks

Is Wabash your cutest fan?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnwIqXYlfWg/

(I am determined to get this photo up to 25 likes. Go ❤️ it. You know you want to.😝)

C. wrote: "Question for MRK: Would you be willing to comment on the Blood Heir controversy and the recent NYT article?"

Since MRK pulled one of her own books for similar reasons (per her comments on the Writing Excuses podcast), I’m guessing she thinks sensitivity readers are a good idea. With which I concur, as it’s always better to have diverse eyes on a project of any sort.

I mean, I have to think that zero black people work in Gucci’s management or design department, for instance: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/07/us/guc... How else does that get approved?

Trike wrote: "Is Wabash your cutest fan?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnwIqXYlfWg/

(I am determined to get this photo up to 25 likes. Go ❤️ it. You know you want to.😝)"

I've unfortunately barely been able to start the book, so no questions yet, but I did go ahead and give the pup his 25th like!

Rebecca wrote: "I've unfortunately barely been able to start the book, so no questions yet, but I did go ahead and give the pup his 25th like!"

We heart you!😁

I see it's right around her birthday. Happy birthday! What's she going to make from the yarn she bought herself for her birthday?

Actual question - how much research did you do for the various locations, like Dayton, Ohio, and Kanas?

I was fascinated with the short story Lady Astronaut of Mars since it features a perspective from an elderly woman. I believe Tom and Veronica also discussed about this in the last podcast, about how accurate the portrayal was. My question is whether MRK plans to write more about this type of POV.

I have not yet read The Fated Sky but I assume the MC had not yet reached the age she was in the Lady Astronaut of Mars. CMIIW.

(Silvana, you are correct--and I think the next two planned books also will not feature her at that age, either, based on how she's described them in an interview I watched last week.)

I don't have a question but I just wanted to say how much I love this series and I hope your aren't offended my by silly semi-endorsement quotes! :-)

I'd like to know about the audiobook process, although I'm sure she's addressed it other places. How does she keep track of the voices, how does she assign them, which voices are the hardest, who is her favorite voice on TCS?

I think she does a great job, also in somehow making Elma sound a bit old fashioned or of her era, but what is it in her voice that makes me hear that?

Trike wrote: "Is Wabash your cutest fan?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnwIqXYlfWg/

(I am determined to get this photo up to 25 likes. Go ❤️ it. You know you want to.😝)"

OMGGGGGGG (also, 28!)

Veronica wrote: "Trike wrote: "Is Wabash your cutest fan?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnwIqXYlfWg/

(I am determined to get this photo up to 25 likes. Go ❤️ it. You know you want to.😝)"

OMGGGGGGG (also, 28!)"

😁

The science is so believable - have you studied engineering or science?

I have a question drawn from The Fated Sky (which I sailed right onto as soon as I finished TCS), so it may not be appropriate for the show, but here goes: (view spoiler)[Where did "the bag" come from? (hide spoiler)]

Tj, did you read the audio book? If not, you can read about that spoiler in the history at the back of The Fated Sky. It is a real thing. Well, kind of.

Should have asked which book she would nominate for March madness